2007 Yamaha Midnight Star Cruiser on 2040-motos

Yamaha Other tech info

Type:Cruiser Stock Number:002664 Phone:8884235320

Moto blog

I can die happy!

As an eighteen year old Kenny Roberts was my bike racing God.  I loved Barry Sheene but as a Yamaha FS1E rider I always wanted the little American to win simply because his bike resembled mine.  The coverage of Grand Prix in the late seventies was sketchy but I clearly remember watching the epic Sheene/Roberts battle unfold at the Silverstone GP on my council estate telly.  The Dutchman, Wil Hartog was hanging in there for a while but as the laps unfolded it became a two way battle with Sheene looking favourite to win.  Sheene lost the most time as the pair lapped a certain George Fogarty so my hero Roberts eventually won by just three hundredths of a second.  I’m not sure what happened next but being a Sunday we would no doubt be skidding around later in the day at the Pines chippie pretending to be Roberts and Sheene.  Fast forward thirty four years and a boyhood fantasy came true as I headed out on Chris Wilson’s 1980 Roberts machine for the Barry Sheene tribute laps at last weekend’s Moto GP.  It crackled into life instantly and felt as sharp as any of the more modern 500s I used to race.  The temperature gauge had a maximum marker on 60 degrees so to begin with I was nervous as it didn’t move but being a hot day (although still keeping my hand on the clutch) I convinced myself it wasn’t working.    The bike felt tiny, not helped by the fact I only just squeezed into my 1989 Marlboro Yamaha leathers.  It still felt rapid though as I played out the 1979 classic in my head while getting tucked in down the Hanger straight.  Steve Parrish was also out there on one of Barry’s 500cc Heron Suzukis so we did our best to copy the famous last lap at Woodcote Corner where Sheene came so close to winning his home GP. As a lad I would have said the chances of me riding round Silverstone on a GP winning Kenny Roberts machine were zero, but in the words of Gabrielle, dreams can come true!

Ben Spies Video Interview on 2012 MotoGP Season [Video]

Yamaha Factory Racing today posted on its YouTube page a video interview with Ben “Elbowz” Spies, in which Spies discusses the soon to start 2012 season of MotoGP. In his usual calm, cool and under control manner Spies speaks frankly on how he prefers the 1000cc GP machine, saying it suits his style (elbows out!) better than the previous seasons’ 800cc bikes because the extra torque and horsepower of the liter-class bikes are, essentially, better matched to his physical stature. Spies also answers honestly the question of who he thinks he needs to keep an eye in 2012, including his teammate, Jorge Lorenzo.

Catalina Island (California) Grand Prix Slated for 2010 Return [video]

The Catalina Grand Prix was last run in 1958 on Santa Catalina Island, an island community situated approximately 22 miles south-southwest of greater Los Angeles. Efforts by the AMA, AMA District 37, Big6 (a smaller collection of clubs within the D-37 region) and promotional company My Cuz Vinnie Promotions LLC, have secured December 3-5, 2010 as dates for the event, with a 100-mile professional race held on the 5th. In 2008 vintage motorcycles were displayed on Crescent Ave.